Black Diamond Orbit Lantern Wins OutDoor INDUSTRY Award

Black Diamond Equipment Ltd., a global leader in the climbing and freeride ski markets, primes the pump for the North American OR Summer Market with a Silver Medal Award for their new Orbit lantern at the recent Friedrichshafen OutDoor INDUSTRY show.

The Orbit is a more compact, ultra-lightweight version of the standout Apollo lantern, tipping the scales at mere 82 g, while utilizing efficient dual reflectors to capture and maximize the 1-watt LED light output. The Orbit runs on four AAA batteries or can be powered by BD’s new Orbit-specific NRG2 Rechargeable Battery Kit.

The Orbit lantern leads a pack of innovative new products from Black Diamond, including the Ozone, Aura and Chaos harnesses, Stormtrack and Squall double-wall mountaineering tents, Livewire Quickdraws, and Raven Pro and Raven Ultra mountaineering axes. All can be viewed at the Black Diamond booth (#8026).

In other BD News, CEO Peter Metcalf has been named Vice Chairman of the OIA Board of Directors, and BD Marketing Director Adam Chamberlain has been appointed to the Conservation Alliance Board.

Metcalf comments, “It is an honor to serve the industry at this level and represent our common goals on a national level.”

To further strengthen Black Diamond’s marketing efforts, two newly created positions have been filled with Sandra Gnandt as the Photo Editor and Mike Tea as Technical Illustrator. Sandra, formerly the Photo Editor for Skiing magazine, will work closely with Content Manager Jonathan Thesenga to craft the BD image. Salt Lake artist and designer, Mike Tea will coordinate with Kasie Kubilius, Black Diamond Packaging Supervisor, on a wide range of graphic design and illustration projects. Tea’s artwork has graced the pages of Climbing, Alpinist and The Drake.

Chamberlain explains, “As Black Diamond continues to thrive in core and emerging markets globally, we are thrilled to add the expertise that Sandra and Mike bring. Both are creative, talented and active in the communities that BD serves.”

Lastly, Black Diamond will host an Outdoor Alliance film hour with beer at their booth #8026, Sunday at 5PM. Among other shorts, the mini-film-fest will feature a trailer for Chris Alstrin’s latest effort due out in Spring 2009. “Luxury Liner” delves into the story behind Supercrack, the icon of Indian Creek, UT crack climbing.

Winner of the Outside magazine 2007 Gear of the Year Award for the Verdict Ski, Black Diamond Equipment Ltd. is an employee-owned manufacturer of equipment for rock climbing, alpinism and freeride skiing. By consistently building innovative, standard-setting products and actively preserving the mountain environment, Black Diamond has assumed a leadership role in the international outdoor community. For more information on Black Diamond, visit www.blackdiamondequipment.com